Police arrest 4 in Lagos over alleged baby theft (Guardian)
The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested four persons, including a couple, over alleged theft of a one-month-old baby.
A spokesman for the police in Lagos, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, saying that the suspects were arrested on Sunday by Anthony Village Police Division led by the DPO, SP Patricia Amadin.
Elkana said investigations into the case had commenced and the four suspects were in custody.
“The baby was recovered from them,” he said.
A very reliable police source had earlier told NAN that two persons, 41-year-old male and 30-year-old female, were arrested alongside five other passengers in a Toyota Sienna car coming from the eastern part of Nigeria at about 2a.m. on Sunday. Read more
Borno sets up virtual courtroom, as Lagos begins Skype hearings May 4 (Vanguard)
Borno State government has set up a virtual courtroom for hearing cases, using digital tools.
This is just as Kazeem Alogba, Chief Judge of Lagos State, approved the remote hearing of cases via Skype or Zoom.
Kashim Zannah, the Chief Judge of the High Court of Borno, told NTA that although the coronavirus pandemic necessitated the development, the state would continue to take advantage of available technologies even after the pandemic. Read more
WAPCo donates N15m worth of medical supplies to Lagos Government (Tribune)
In its efforts to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus and help fight the COVID-19, the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has donated personal protective equipment (PPEs) and medical supplies that worth N15million to the Lagos State Government.
Speaking in Lagos during the handover of the medical equipment to the General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Dolapo Fasawe, the Managing Director of WAPCo Limited, Mr Gregory Germani, represented by General Manager, Operations, WAPCO, Mr Saminu Justin, commended the Lagos State Government for its leadership role in containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Read more
Nigerian woman advertised for sale on Facebook by Lebanese rescued (Punch)
The woman who was offered for sale on Facebook by a Lebanese, Wael Jerro, has been rescued.
The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Tuesday said the victim, Busari Peace, was with the Nigerian Mission in Beirut, Lebanon.
Jerro had advertised the victim with her Nigerian passport on a Facebook page, ‘Buy and Sell in Lebanon’.
He put a price tag of $1,000 on the 30-year-old Ibadan, Oyo State indigene. Read more
2020 budget: Senate approves Buhari’s request for N850bn loan from capital market (Vanguard)
The Senate on Tuesday gave accelerated approval to President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to raise a fresh loan of 850 billion Naira from the domestic capital market to finance projects in the 2020 budget.
The Senate has mandated its committees on finance, appropriation, Domestic and Foreign Debt and National Planning to liaise with the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed to get more details on the loan request.
The approval was given soon after the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for the approval to go for fresh loan of N850 Billion from the Domestic Capital Market. Read more
Elumelu donates six trailers of rice to Delta community (Guardian)
Onicha-Ugbo hometown of the mother of banking wizard and international humanitarian, Tony Elumelu and other towns in Delta north area was thrown into wild jubilation last night as six trailer-load of rice donated to the communities as palliative for lockdown arrived.
Onicha Ugbo and Onicha-Uku are not the only beneficiaries of Elumelu’s goodwill as the four Local Government Council in Aniocha-Oshimili got one trailer load each.
The beneficiary local governments are Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South.
Out of the six trailer loads, his mother’s town, Onicha-Ugbo got one, his father’s place, Onicha-Uku got one, one trailer each is for Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili north and Oshimili South LGA’s. Read more
High COVID-19 cases in Kano not surprising – NCDC (Punch)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says it remains focused on the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.
The agency said on Monday in Abuja that it would increase testing for the virus across the country as a strategy to succeed.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, gave the reassurance at the daily briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
He explained that the increasing cases of COVID-19 in Kano State were not surprising. Read more
Trump speaks with Buhari, pledges US support to Nigeria in coronavirus fight (Guardian)
The United States (US) on Monday pledged to support Nigeria in its fight against coronavirus.
US President Donald Trump made the pledge to Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari in a phone call on Tuesday, a presidential aide Bashir Ahmad disclosed. Read more
FG declares Friday as public holiday (Guardian)
Nigerian Government has declared Friday, May 1, as public holiday to mark this year’s International Workers’ Day Celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who declared the holiday in a statement, commended Nigerian workers for their resilience, patience and understanding, particularly in their support of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s efforts at stemming the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Aregbesola assured that workers commitment and patience will complement the efforts being made by Government and other stakeholders to ensure the speedy control of the virus. Read more
Cleaner air from COVID-19 lockdowns may save lives (VOA)
Blue skies over Beijing. Unusually clean air in New Delhi. Rare views of the hills around Los Angeles.
One of the few pleasant side effects of COVID-19 lockdowns has been the widely observed drop in air pollution because of reduced industrial and manufacturing production and auto emissions.
Those clearer skies may have resulted in more than 7,000 fewer premature deaths and nearly 7,000 fewer asthma attacks, according to new research.
“The COVID lockdown is not sustainable and it’s not the way we want to reduce air pollution,” said study co-author Kristin Aunan, senior research fellow at the Center for International Climate Research. Read more
PM Philippe unveils France’s plan to ease Covid-19 lockdown (France24)
French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe reveals his government’s much-awaited plan to ease the strict nationwide coronavirus lockdown to the National Assembly Tuesday. The unveiling of the plan, which includes digital innovations to try to stem the outbreak, will be followed by a parliamentary debate and a vote.
The easing of France’s Covid-19 lockdown measures looks set to be a perilous process as the disease tolls continues to mount, though at a slower rate, more than a month after a nationwide lockdown was put in place.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier this month that the lockdown would be lifted from May 11 but he left the details relatively vague.
Prime Minister Philippe’s presentation will be followed by a two-and-a-half hour debate in France’s lower house of parliament, followed by a vote on the “national strategy of the de-confinement plan”. Read more
Do Aliens Exist? Pentagon Releases Formerly Classified Videos Of ‘UFO’ (Guardian)
“Do aliens exist?”
This is probably one of the most asked questions since humans began speculating about the existence of life outside of earth.
Since the mid-20th century, active ongoing research has taken place to look for signs of extraterrestrial life or aliens, the preferred term in pop culture.
On Monday, the United States Department of Defense released three declassified videos that show US Navy pilots encountering what appear to be unidentified flying objects (UFO). This videos once again begs the question on the existence of extraterrestrial life. Read more
Brazil emerges as next potential coronavirus hotspot (NYPost)
Brazil is emerging as potentially the next big hot spot for the coronavirus amid President Jair Bolsonaro’s insistence that it is just a “little flu” and that there is no need for the sharp restrictions that have slowed the infection’s spread in Europe and the US.
As some US states and European countries moved gradually Monday to ease their limits on movement and commerce, the intensifying outbreak in Brazil — Latin America‘s biggest country, with 211 million people — pushed hospitals to the breaking point and left victims dead at home.
“We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious,” said Paulo Brandão, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo.
Brazil officially reported about 4,500 deaths and almost 67,000 confirmed infections. But the true numbers there, as in many other countries, are believed to be vastly higher given the lack of testing and the many people without severe symptoms who haven’t sought hospital care. Read more
In Spain, routine keeps adults and children sane (VOA)
In Spain the confinement began on March 14.
Since then we have not been out on the street, except to buy food and throw away the garbage.
There are 45 apartments in the building where we live with our young son, 200 meters from the sea in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona. It was built in 1970 and therefore there are many older people.
But it is also a neighborhood in transformation and has attracted many new families. In all of Barcelona, it is now the neighborhood with the most children. Read more
Guaranteed minimum income for Americans ‘worthy of attention’: Pelosi (NYPost)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a “guaranteed income” for Americans, amid the crippling economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, is “worthy of attention.”
The California Democrat said financial aid provided through the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill should be extended.
“Well, I think we should extend the time, I really do. I always thought that was too short a time. I think we should extend the time,” Pelosi said Monday on MSNBC.
“Others have suggested a minimum income for — a guaranteed income for people. Is that worthy of attention now? Read more
French police officers suspended for using racist slur in viral video (BBC)
Two police officers in Paris have been suspended after being filmed using an extremely offensive racist slur.
The officers used a derogatory term for North Africans to mock a man they were arresting, and repeated a racist trope about him being unable to swim.
The footage went viral on social media and has sparked outrage across France.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner also strongly criticised the officers involved, saying there was “no place” for racism in the police force.
He also announced that the IGPN internal police watchdog had been notified and would launch an investigation. Read more
Disney sparks backlash with #MayThe4th tweet (BBC)
Disney has been accused of trying to claim media ownership of popular hashtag “MayThe4th” on Twitter.
The company’s streaming service, Disney Plus, encouraged fans to share their favourite Star Wars memories using the hashtag on Monday.
It followed up with a legal warning suggesting any user who tweeted the hashtag was agreeing to Disney’s terms and letting it use their content.
It backtracked after a huge protest by fans and widespread mockery. Read more
Spanish govt says no guarantee football resumes before summer (Guardian)
Spain’s health minister Salvador Illa said Sunday it would be “imprudent” to promise the football season would restart before the summer as the country took steps to ease one of the world’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns.
“I can’t tell you right now if professional football is going to be able to restart its activities before the summer. It would be imprudent on my part,” he said during a daily briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.
The minister sounded a note of caution over La Liga plans to test players for the virus before returning to training and resuming a season suspended on March 12, saying giving priority to footballers might breach government policy. Read more
If pandemic persists next year, Tokyo Olympics will be ‘cancelled’ (France24)
The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t brought under control by next year, the organising committee’s president warned, ruling out further delays.
The comments, in an interview with a Japanese sports daily published Tuesday, come as medical experts doubted whether the pandemic can be sufficiently contained by next year to hold an event drawing participants and spectators from around the world.
The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.
But Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori was categorical when asked by the Nikkan Sports daily whether the Games could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: “No.” Read more
UEFA asks European Leagues for decision on domestic seasons by 25 May (BBC)
European leagues have until 25 May to tell Uefa whether they want to complete or cancel their seasons.
Football is suspended in all European countries apart from Belarus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League has this week stepped up its plans to resume the season in what has been labelled ‘Project Restart’.
Arsenal, Tottenham, Brighton and West Ham have opened their training grounds to players for individual work.
The Premier League league is hopeful of a potential 8 June restart and finishing at the end of July to fit in with Uefa’s European competition plans. This would require full training to begin by 18 May. Read more
Ligue 1 & 2: France’s top two divisions will not resume this season (BBC)
The Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the 2019-20 sporting season is over as he announced plans to ease France’s coronavirus lockdown on 11 May.
French football’s governing body had hoped to resume the season on 17 June and finish the campaign on 25 July. Read more
NFL considering major schedule changes to 2020 season (NYPost)
The NFL might be ready to admit this coming season could be as unprecedented as the virtual draft that concluded Saturday.
Schedule-makers are in the process of designing several versions of the 2020 slate, some of which include a Super Bowl on Feb. 28, the regular season starting as late as Thursday, Oct. 15, and a season without bye weeks or a Pro Bowl, according to Sports Business Daily.
It marks a striking but also unsurprising about-face in the league’s thinking since the end of March, when NFL executive vice president and general counsel Jeff Pash said he was “planning on having a full season,” and “in the same way” as previous years. Read more
Michael Robinson: Ex-Liverpool & Republic of Ireland striker dies aged 61 (BBC)
Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland striker Michael Robinson has died at the age of 61.
Robinson, who was one of Spain’s most recognisable sports broadcasters, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018.
“With tremendous sadness we tell you about Michael’s passing,” said a post from Robinson’s account on Twitter.
“It leaves us with a great emptiness, but also countless memories, filled with the same love that you have shown for him.”
The message added: “We will be eternally grateful to you for making this man so happy, he never walked alone. Thank you.” Read more
Sebastian Telfair’s mother, brother die after coronavirus battles (NYPost)
One of the best basketball products to come out of New York City lost his mum and brother after they battled coronavirus.
Erica Telfair, the mother of former NBA and Abraham Lincoln High School star Sebastian Telfair, died early Monday after battling the virus, although her official cause of death is unknown. She was 64.
Her passing comes after her son and Sebastian’s older brother, Dan Turner, died March 28 from COVID-19. Former Lincoln head coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton confirmed both deaths.
During an interview with the Undefeated in late March, former Knicks and Nets guard Stephon Marbury, Telfair’s cousin, said Turner died from COVID-19. Read more